Modern Hero Names

Famous as the name of the widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

A worthy honoree that would place a too-heavy expectation on a child, probably subjecting him to ridicule. Try Pablo instead.

Intriguing alternative that goes beyond Louisa and May, for Little Women fans.

Oprah's almost mononymic first name is too closely tied to her personality (and brand) for us to recommend it as a baby name in good faith. Her surname, however, is definitely name-worthy. Winfrey works as a modern update to Whitney, with the added bonus of being associated with one of the most influential women of our time.

Palin has suddenly become a hot new surname-name given usually to girls. The inspiration can only be former Alaska governor Sarah, though the name Palin is her husband's -- her original surname is Heath. Palin herself is no stranger to the adventurous baby name, as the mother of daughters Bristol, Piper, and Willow, and sons Track and Trig.

Reality TV star Raven Gates gave her on-trend s-ending surname to her son, named Gates Zev. Gates joins an impressive lineup of celebrity babies with similar names, including Hillary Duff's Banks and Emma Roberts' Rhodes. Gates is also famously the surname of Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft.

If you love the venerable Southwestern painter but feel Georgia's gotten too overheated, you might want to go all the way to this Irish surname in the fashionable O' family.

For football fans who have decided Peyton has become too feminine. Or they could look to brother Eli for inspiration.